Serving tray



April 2, 1935. w N Y 1,996,300

SERVING TRAY Filed Marion 1:, 1934' f Patented Apr. 2, 1935 mmfor-ms; 1

SERVING TRAY Hugh William Lindsay, Gastonia, N. 0. Application March 19,1934, Serial No. 715,339 2Claims. (01. 224-48) This invention relates toserving trays and more particularly to a sanitary means for sealingcontainers which are supported in the tray so as toprevent spilling ofthe contents thereof.

An object of this invention is to provide in a serving tray meanswhereby cups or other containers, which are supported in the tray, willbe covered by means of a sanitary cover which is held in tight positionby means of a plate detachably carried by the tray structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tray structure of thiskind which is adapted to be used in the serving of drinks at roadsideplaces or other places where the drinks are carried for a distance fromthe point of serving and which includes means to prevent the contents ofthe containers from being contaminated.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this inventionwill in partpbe described and in part be understood from the followingdetailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same beingillustrated inthe accompanying drawing wherein:-

Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of a device constructed accordingto the preferred embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional iview taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the clamping plate for thesanitary sealing member for the containers supported in the tray.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral Idesignates generally a tray structure comprising a base I I and anarticle supporting rack I2 which is secured to the base H by a standardor post l3. The rack l2 comprises a plate I4 provided with a pluralityof apertures, each defined by a depending inverted frustro-conicalmember l5 within which a cup or liquid holding member [6 is adapted toengage. Preferably, the cups or liquid holding members l6 are of a sizesuch that the lower portion thereof will project below the bottom of thedepending members IS. The central portion of the plate M has a, chamberll secured thereto and extending therebelow. This chamber I7 is adaptedto receive articles such as packages of merchandise in the form ofcigarettes or may receive pieces of ice. The top of the standard I3 issecured to the central portion of the bottom of the chamberor well H.

A substantially U-shaped handle or bail I8 is secured to the plate l4,and this bail I 8 has on one leg l9 thereof, a match chamber orcompartment 20. This member 20 may beof sufilcient depth to hold strawsor like articles.

'A cover plate 2! provided with an elongated bail receiving slot 22 isadapted to engage'the top of the cups or containers Hi. This plate 2| 5is preferably constructed of relatively rigid material and the slot 22terminates at one end 7 in a rounded opening 23 which engages aboutrthevertically opening compartment 2%. g

A sanitary pad 24 is interposed between the bottom of the plate or cover2! and the tops of the cups or containers I6, and may be constructed outof paper or fabric and is of a size such as to overlap the outeredges ofthe containers I6.

In order to hold the cover plate 2! in a tight position on top ofthecups or containers l6 and to also tightly clamp the cups it withinthe cup receiving members I5, I have provided a pair of dependinglugs-25 and 26, which are carried by the cover plate 2|. The lug 25engages against one end of the bail l8 and preferably engages againstthe leg l8 of the bail, whereas the lug 26 engages against the outerside of the container 20. The leg ill at a desired point intermediateits length, is provided on the outside thereof with a projection 27, andon the lug 25 is provided with a detent 28 within which the projection21 is received. In like manner, the container 20, has a projection 29,which is engaged by a detent 30 carried by the lug 26. Through the use30 of these lugs 25 and 26 and the projections27 and 2a, the cover plate2| is clamped and firmly held against the tops of the cups '16 so thatthe contents of the cups will not spill while the tray is being carried.a

In the use of the tray structure herein disclosed, the containers orcups l6 may be inserted in the openings provided in the plate I 4, andwhen the desired number of cups have been placed in the rack 52, thenapkin 24 may be 40 slipped over the bail; The cover plate 2| is thenslipped over the bail and moved inwardly thereof until the lugs 25 and26 engage the projections 21 and 29, respectively. When the cover plate2i is in position, a considerable portion/cf the bail will projectthereabove and the top of the match compartment 20 will project thereabove. The tray can then be carried to the customer and during'thecarrying of the tray, it will be obvious that the contents of the cupsI6 will not spill out. The receptacle l1 may have either ice, cigarettesor any other article disposed therein, so that the device may be usedfor the serving of drinks and other articles.

What is claimed is:- V

1. In a serving tray structure including an article supporting rack, abail carried by the rack, a cover plate having a slot to receive saidbail, depending recessed yieldable clamping members integral with theplate and disposed at opposite ends of the slot, means fixedly carriedby the bail and. engageable within the recess of each member toreleasably hold the plate in operative position. I l 1 2. In a servingtraystructure including an article supporting rack and a bail carried bythe rack, a cover plate having an elongated slot therein to looselyengage about the bail, depending recessed yieldable clamping membersintegral with the plate and disposed at opposite ends of the slot, meansfixed to the bail engageable within the recess of each member toreleasably hold the bail in operative position, and a fabric sheetdisposed between the plate and the tops of articles disposed in thesupporting rack.

HUGH WILLIAM LINDSAY.

